Mahinda’s Little World

Right, dear readers. I left you with Jenita and I together in her hotel room. Time unspecified, but it’s after 5am on Sunday morning.

So, it’s now getting close to 7am, and the two of us are still awake. Jenita goes into the bathroom…and Piiya storms in, finds me there, and tells me in no uncertain terms that it’s time for me to leave. I don’t think she likes me

I get my stuff together, Jenita emerges, and we go into the corridor.

Now, I don’t know whether Piiya returned in response to a signal of some sort, or whether it was random. Jenita’s attitude in the corridor suggests that she’s sorry to see me go.

I promise to visit Tampere, and we embrace for a while. One last kiss, and I head out of the door, down the stairs, and into the bright morning sunlight.

It’s pretty much 7am now. I promptly head in the wrong direction, only to think about things a few seconds later, and then scan the distance for church spires - one of the churches in Old Town is believed to have been the tallest building in the world between something like the 15th and 18th centuries.

I see the familiar spire, and head towards it.

I get back at something like 7.20am, and head down to mine and Paul’s dungeon room. He stirs and calls me a dirty stop-out. Or words to that effect. I collapse into bed, asleep instantly.

Breakfast-time comes. Not a chance. I eventually wake, shower, pack my stuff, and groggily head outside, to the minibus that’s waiting to take us to the airport. I get a cheer from the lads, and several lewd comments. Oh well, you commit the crime…

Airport

Get to Tallinn airport, check in. I don’t get patted down, for a change - as a 20something Asian bloke travelling alone, I’ve become pretty used to getting patted down at every possible opportunity.

While milling around in the departure lounge, Ian points out that I’ve been called on the tannoy. I missed it entirely, in my very groggy state. He’d had the same thing, and it was basically a bag check.

I end up having to go back into the front section of the airport, then into a room where an Estonian women (who, rather impressively, had gotten my name right!) had my hefty rucksack on a table.

"You have alcohol in this?" She asked. Erm. I had quite a bit, as it happened.

"Yes" I replied, and extricated it all. Vana Tallinn and various other liqueurs.

"Vana Tallinn! Good! No vodka?"

"Nope."

Satisfied, she indicates that I should put my bag on the conveyor and proceed. Which I do. I have no idea why she was happy with me taking multiple bottles of 40/45% liqueur rather than vodka. Ho hum.

Back to the lads, eventually on to the plane. I’m rather hung over at this point.

As if by magic, though, a long and involved conversation with Mylo does the trick, and I reach Stansted in considerably better spirits, albeit still knackered.

Mike drives me back to his place, we watch the footy for a while (with me dozing off every so often), and I eventually decide that I really must be going.

The long drive up the A14 and M6 included a few service station stops, much coffee, and an hour’s nap. Definitely needed.

Home, and pretty much straight to bed. Which was nice.

And that’s all! Sorry about the delay - to say that I’ve been busy of late would be a bit of an understatement.

Jenita Update

Being the internet stalker that I am, I Googled Jenita, based on her name, where she was from, and her job. I found her, and an article on horse racing that she’d written. Lovely.

I also found her email address…which tallied with the one she’d given me.

I emailed her sometime in early September (once I’d gotten back from Sri Lanka)…and still haven’t had a reply

I’m guessing that she simply used me for a bit of holiday fun. Not that I’m complaining too much…it’s just that, well, we seemed to "work" together quite nicely, and it would have been nice to stay in touch.

I certainly didn’t get the impression that she never wanted to see me again. Women, eh? Rubbish!